Fishing and Marine Life in Chilean Patagonia

Chile

Concierge.com's insider take:

The native salmon and introduced trout in Patagonia's rivers and lakes draw the world's most renowned and avid anglers. Dozens of exclusive estancias offer visitors the chance to troll, fly-fish, and spin in transparent, ice-cold water. Some of the best lodges, including Yelcho en la Patagonia (www.yelcho.cl), Isla Monita Fishing Lodge (www.islamonita.cl), and El Yungue Lodge (www.burcoadventure.com/elyungue_en.html), are mostly clustered around Lago Yelcho and its tributaries, where anglers have landed record-breaking salmon. Chile's Pacific coastal waters are also bursting with life: Bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, Magellanic penguins, and sea lions are all to be found. Sea voyages, including the four-day Navimag ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales (www.navimag.com), offer an excellent way to commune with nature while getting around; shorter expeditions by yacht or sea kayak offer the only practicable way to explore Chile's southern archipelago.